Located at 1407 Graymalkin Lane, the Xavier Institute appears publicly as a school for higher learning. In reality, it is the home of the Uncanny X-Men and serves to teach young mutants how to use their powers responsibly. In this article, we’ll examine how the theme of this iconic location is translated into a card mechanic.

At first look, this location seems almost too powerful-until you read that pesky last sentence, “That character cannot attack this turn.” The question that many players ask after seeing this card is, “What can my ready characters do if they can’t attack again?”

Good question. Let’s start with a quick review of how powers work within the game.

In the Marvel trading card game (TCG), there are three general categories of character powers: continuous, triggered, and payment. Continuous powers are perhaps the easiest to understand. This type of power is in effect as long as the character providing it is face-up in play. Stunning or removing the character from play are the only two real ways to stop this type of power from working.

Triggered effects look for something else to happen in the game. Like continuous powers, triggered powers will work if character is ready or exhausted. When the trigger condition is met, the character’s power will have its effect. Each time the trigger condition is met, the power will go off, but only once for each trigger.

For example, Human Torch, Supernova, reads, “Whenever Human Torch attacks or is attacked, you may pay 6 endurance. If you do, Human Torch gets +6 ATK and –6 DEF for this attack.” His power triggers once each time he attacks or is attacked, and you have the option of paying 6 endurance once each time.

Payment powers require a little bit more effort on the part of the player. Unlike continuous and triggered powers, payment powers only work if the controller of the card wants the effect to be generated. Payment powers have two components, a cost and an effect. The cost is part before the à symbol, and the effect is what is generated by paying the cost.

Players can use a payment power as many times as they like, as long as they can pay the cost before the à. One type of payment power has the cost, “Activate.” To activate a card, you exhaust it by turning it sideways. If a card is exhausted, it cannot be activated, so cards with the activate keyword can normally only use their powers once per turn.

Any character that has an “activate” payment power needs to be in the ready state to use the power. Once the power is used and the card is exhausted, the character is unable to use its activated power again that turn.

The School, then, allows certain X-Men with activated payment powers to use their powers twice in one turn. Examples in the Origins set include Longshot, Moira McTaggert, Shadowcat, Dazzler, and Forge. In many ways, this location is like having an additional character that can’t be attacked or stunned.

When you have the initiative, another good use for this location is to ready an exhausted support row character that attacked earlier in the turn. That character might not be able to attack again, but it can reinforce your characters when your opponent retaliates with his or her own attackers.

It is also helpful to have ready characters to pay the costs of certain plot twists. Finishing Move, Entangle, Focused Blast, Medical Attention, Team Tactics, and Tech Upgrade all require you to exhaust a character you control.